British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet disappointing beginning to life under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a competitive ten-round bout at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker had his moments, landing some telling individual punches in a fight where the approaches didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching disrupting the fight.
Two judges judged it 96-94 for to the winner, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my finest performance but what defines champions? They win," Buatsi said in the arena as he was met by disapproval from the spectators.
The British fighter bounced back after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in February - to secure a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers believed the challenger, 31, merited the victory but the contender suffered the second loss of his 28-bout professional journey.
Buatsi Secures Triumph in Dull Match
Buatsi's progress has plateaued in recent times through contract problems and extended periods of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the future of UK boxing, he now stands trying to realize his potential - possibly in what feels like a last chance - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors ready to overcommit in a cagey early stages.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in 2022 after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was making just his second appearance at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had made it competitive, making life awkward for Buatsi, who operated with a solid defense to edge the more effective rounds.
The crowd's patience decreased amid regular grabbing, with Parker falling to the floor several times during clinches.
Parker ended stronger, but many rounds were difficult to score. Nevertheless, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor advances, but with the likes of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - judging by this showing - still looks steep.
Hatton Homage Inspires Local Rivalry Battle
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by close verdict in a outstanding local rivalry fight to secure the European light heavyweight title.
The stadium grew hushed for a extremely emotional tribute prior to the bout as ten bells sounded in honor of local hero Ricky Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in last month.
It was the first major televised boxing event in the city since the passing of Hatton. As the final chime disappeared, the quiet became a chant of "there's just one Hatton".
The action within the ring reflected the sentiment. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a significant blow directly to the face in the initial stage, getting up unsteadily to his position on the eight count.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of Arthur soon came forward again. From the other corner, Rea - in opposing blue - was marked up soon, significant bruising appearing under his orbital area as the fighters landed powerful shots.
The challenger, 27, connected with strong blows but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the action seldom decreased over the full distance.
Arthur edged the verdict with official scores of draw, close margin and clearer margin, but each competitor were relentless and full of heart, all the qualities their hero the legend embodied.
